5 research outputs found
Microfluidic analysis techniques for safety assessment of pharmaceutical nano- and microsystems
This chapter reviews the evolution of microfabrication methods and materials, applicable to manufacturing of micro total analysis systems (or labâonâaâchip), from a general perspective. It discusses the possibilities and limitations associated with microfluidic cell culturing, or so called organâonâaâchip technology, together with selected examples of their exploitation to characterization of pharmaceutical nanoâ and microsystems. Materials selection plays a pivotal role in terms of ensuring the cell adhesion and viability as well as defining the prevailing culture conditions inside the microfluidic channels. The chapter focuses on the hepatic safety assessment of nanoparticles and gives an overview of the development of microfluidic immobilized enzyme reactors that could facilitate examination of the hepatic effects of nanomedicines under physiologically relevant conditions. It also provides an overview of the future prospects regarding systemâlevel integration possibilities facilitated by microfabrication of miniaturized separation and sample preparation systems as integral parts of microfluidic in vitro models.Non peer reviewe